Did former world heavyweight champions Riddick ‘Large Daddy’ Bowe and Gene ‘The
Preventing Marine’ Tunney have one loss too many to make anybody’s high ten listing amongst heavyweight champions.
In 1988, Bowe was 104-18 within the amateurs and misplaced to future world champion Lennox ‘The Lion’ Lewis, representing Canada within the 1988 Seoul Olympics finals in South Korea, receiving the Silver Medal within the Tremendous Heavyweight division.
Bowe, 43-1 with 28 stoppages out of Ft. Washington, Maryland, held the WBC title from November to December 1992 earlier than vacating it. He had the WBA and IBF titles from November 1992 to November 1993. He held the WBO title from March of 1993 to January of 1996.
Turning professional in March 1989, Bowe gained his first 34 fights, successful the vacant WBC Continental Americas title over Elijah ‘Phoenix Metal’ Tillery (23-4) in his twenty-seventh combat by DQ in October 1991.
In earlier fights, Bowe stopped former WBC and WBA champion Pinklon ‘Pink’ Thomas, 30-4-1, after eight rounds. Later, he stopped the 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Tyrell Biggs (19-3). He defeated former WBA champion Tony ‘TNT’ Tubbs in his subsequent combat, 29-2. Three fights later, he knocked out former WBA champion Bruce ‘The Atlantic Metropolis Categorical’ Seldon (18-1).
In November 1992, Bowe defeated the 1984 Olympian and WBA, WBC, and IBF world champion Evander ‘The Actual Deal’ Holyfield (28-0), bettering his file to 32-0. In Bowe’s first two defenses, he stopped former WBA champion Michael ‘Dynamite’ Dokes (50-3-2) and Jesse ‘Thunder’ Ferguson (19-9).
In his subsequent protection, he misplaced for the primary and final time to Holyfield, 29-1, by majority resolution in November of 1993. He re-won the WBC Continental title, defeating 1992 Olympian Larry ‘The Legend’ Donald (16-0).
In March 1995, Bowe gained the WBO world title, knocking out champion Herbie ‘Dancing Destroyer’ Conceal (26-0). In his first protection, he knocked out Cuban Jorge Luis Gonzalez (23-0).
In Bowe’s subsequent combat and their third combat, he stopped former champion Holyfield, 31-2, and was stripped of his title two months later.
In back-to-back fights, Bowe gained by DQ over Andrew Golota (28-0), and retired. He got here again eight years later and gained three fights earlier than retiring. That one loss to Holyfield, who he beat of their two different fights, appeared to maintain him from being thought-about one of many high ten in his division regardless of a 43-1 file solely dropping to Holyfield.
Having a look at Gene ’The Preventing Marine’ Tunney (65-1-1), with 48 stoppages, out of Greenwich, Connecticut, he solely misplaced as soon as in his profession, that to legendary pound-for-pound former world middleweight champion Harry ‘Pittsburgh Windmill’ Greb (196-12-5)for the American Gentle Heavyweight title in Could of 1922.
He would go on to defeat Greb twice after that earlier than combating to a draw, and of their fifth combat, he defeated Greb.
Tunney would win his subsequent 5 fights and the heavyweight title, defeating NBA champion Jack ‘Manassa Mauler’ Dempsey (57-5-8) earlier than over 120,000 attendance in Philadelphia.
A yr later, they’d their rematch, and within the seventh spherical, Tunney was knocked to the canvas. Dempsey ignored a brand new rule that he needed to go to a impartial nook—some fourteen seconds handed when Tunney bought up from the canvas, later often called ‘The Lengthy Rely’.
Tunney would go on to win the choice. He defended his title a second time by stopping Tom ‘The Onerous Rock from Down Below’ Heeney (32-8-5) of New Zealand, in eleven rounds in July of 1928, retiring after the combat ending with a 65-1-1 file. That lone loss to Greg price him from most individuals’s high ten heavyweight champions.
